Handsome Hero Sailor Moon
by doctorwho29
Summary: A what if story reimagining Sailor Moon as a boy along with other appropriate changes.
1. A New Hero Rises

**Hello everyone! This is a story I've had in mind for a long time but couldn't quite iron out the details. As it is, I'm still making certain things up as I go lol. I hope you enjoy this!**

* * *

A New Hero Rises

The stars twinkled like diamonds in a vast sky. Comets chased each other in a jubilant blaze of light. In the midst of this splendor, a silver orb was suspended like a great pearl. The surface of this shining world was like a soft silver desert bathed in peaceful silence. Further on the landscape was broken by a great city of white stone. Men and women of all ages strolled along wide lanes, rested by calm ponds, or gathered in the many gardens. A few were gazing at the marvelous green and blue planet above in the sky.

The happy conversations suddenly stilled and many more turned their eyes upwards. The planet above was no longer shining so brightly. A shadow had fallen across it and was now spreading across the void. For a moment there was only frightful stillness but as the shadow grew deeper and closer, panic broke out. Some ran for their homes, others fled for the palace at the center of the city crying out for help.

Soldiers and guards were running to their battle stations. On the steps of the palace stood a small group colorfully dressed individuals also posed for battle. Strange elemental energies surrounded them; they were ready to fight to the death against this coming terror. All was for naught; the shadow engulfed the kingdom and all was silence.

With a gasp, a young teenager sat up in bed. His heart was racing as he tried to remember the odd dream that had jolted him awake. Something about a city under attack...attack from the Earth? He took a few deep breaths and fell back upon his pillows. He hated bad dreams at the best of times and this one had felt so real. Why couldn't he just dream about nice things like food or anime?

He was just starting a daydream about watching his favorite show while resting on a throne made of cake when a shrill beeping interrupted him. He frowned and turned his head to where his cell phone lay on the nearby window sill. He picked up the phone, turned off the alarm, and set it back down.

Seconds later he sat upright again and grabbed the phone. His heart started another panicked drumbeat as he looked at the time. "Oh no, I'm going to be late!"

He bounced out of bed, ripped off his pajamas, and grabbed his school uniform. He was in such a panic that he tried to put his pants on backwards and fell to the floor with a crash. As he scrambled back to his feet and turned his pants the right way round, his mother's voice bellowed up the stairs.

"Kaemon, is that you finally getting up!?"

"Yes! Why didn't you wake me?" He shouted back as he finished getting dressed

"I did and you said you would be right down."

"And you believed me?"

Her response was an exaggerated sigh. He emerged from his bedroom, tripped over his own feet and tumbled down the stairs. He half ran, half crawled into the dining area where a now cold breakfast was sitting at his place at the table. He started to wolf it down but the plate was suddenly whipped away.

"No time for that unless you want to be tardy again" His mother said with a stern expression "Your brother is already on his way to school."

"Of course he is" Kaemon growled. His hunger was barely satisfied but his mother gave him a glare as he tried to take the plate back from her.

"If you want breakfast, then you should be here at breakfast time." He watched mournfully as she dumped the food into the trash can. She then plopped a lunch box in front of him and pointed to the door. "Now go to school!"

"Fine" he huffed. Kaemon snatched up the lunchbox and made for the front door. He paused as he glimpsed the TV in the living room. His father was watching the morning news and the current story was telling how a burglar had been apprehended during a break in.

"I heard a noise downstairs" the owner of the house was saying "At first I was sure I'd imagined it but the noises continued and I heard someone opening drawers and things. I called the police of course but in the middle of my call, I heard a shout. A rough voice was crying out 'No, leave me alone' but he was quickly silenced. I ran downstairs and found the thief tied up in the back yard. When the authorities showed up, he started ranting about Sailor V. That guy could have cleaned me out but Sailor V was there to stop him."

"Wow" Kaemon said as the news then displayed stock footage of the mysterious masked hero in a sailor suit. Suddenly, he heard heavy breathing behind him.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" his mother asked

"Got it, got it" he replied as he shoved his feet into his shoes and ran out the door.

He yawned as he hurried along the sidewalk. Really, he thought, school way too early in the morning. In fact, why couldn't mornings just come in the afternoon? These musings were interrupted by the yowling of a cat. He stopped and looked around in curiosity. He quickly spotted a group of local young boys gathered in an alley. One was holding down a black cat while the others were treating it in an obviously unwelcome fashion.

A determined expression came across Kaemon's face. He knew that Sailor V wouldn't have stood idly by and he wasn't going to either. He ran forward, threw out his chest, and said in a deep voice "Unhand that poor cat, citizens, or in the name of all that good and decent, I'll punish you!"

The kids glanced up but didn't look impressed. "Hey aren't you the wimp who lives down the street?"

"Look at him, who does he think he is, Sailor V?" a second boy said

"His brother says that he's practically in love with Sailor V" the third boy snickered

Kaemon's eye twitched. He made a mental note to clobber Shingo later. For now there was work to do. "Be quiet if you know what's good for you. I bet your parents would be thrilled to hear this story."

"Ah save it" the first boy said "Come on guys, it's getting a little too dumb around here for me."

The kids stuck their tongues out at Kaemon and ran away. He childishly stamped his foot and stuck his own tongue out in retaliation. He then remembered the cat and dropped to his knees to check on the poor creature.

"Oh poor kitty" he said as he pulled various stickers off of the cat "They even put one on your face, the little jerks."

The cat squirmed a little under Kaemon's ministrations but only really reacted when he pulled off the bandage stuck to its forehead. He had a quick glimpse of a curiously shiny bald spot in the shape of crescent as it leapt away. The cat turned to look at him and Kaemon was unnerved by the intensity of its gaze.

Suddenly he sprang to his feet and cried out "I totally forgot about school!" The cat watched the boy stumble over his own feet, race around the corner and out of sight. Its whiskers twitched thoughtfully and it too left the alley.

Kaemon barreled down sidewalks, through busy intersections and finally neared the school building. He cried out in despair as the final bell rang while he was barely at the gate. His depression grew as he changed into his school shoes and made his way to his classroom. He noticed that his teacher was busy writing something on the board and decided that all may not be lost. He inched the door quietly open and began to crawl to his desk. Several kids, including his best friend Nao, glanced at him but they said nothing.

"Tsukino!" a voice bellowed. Kaemon froze and looked up to see the teacher staring at him.

"Uh…yes Haruna Sensei?"

"Would you be so kind as to get off of the floor and explain why you're late again?"

He popped up like a jack in the box and stood rigidly. "Well, you see I…"

"Overslept?" she supplied with a disappointed expression

"Just a little bit; I also had to perform a rescue!"

"And just who was this person in such need of your assistance?"

"A…a…a cat with a bald spot."

The class laughed and Haruna growled. "You may think about ways to improve your constant tardiness while standing out in the hall."

"Yes Haruna Sensei."

A few kids gave him sympathetic looks as Kaemon took the walk of shame to the hallway. He stood there, miserable, while listening to the goings on in the classroom. Soon the discussion turned to the English test they had recently taken but he was distracted by his stomach. He glanced down at the lunchbox still in his hand and grinned.

"It's unhealthy to go without breakfast after all"

He was just about to dig in when he heard his name being shouted. He turned to see his teacher standing in the doorway of the classroom. "I was about to let you come back in but here I find you compounding one infraction with another?"

"Infraction?" he asked in confusion

More laughter came from the classroom while the teacher looked angry. She grabbed his lunchbox and said "I'll take this and trade you this" she shoved a paper into his hands "Stand out here a little longer and add study habits to your contemplations…that means thoughts."

She slammed the classroom door shut and Kaemon felt like crying. It's not like he tried to be stupid. He looked at the paper and a strange noise was caught halfway up his throat. He had achieved only a 30 on the English test; an all time personal low. He thought he might really cry this time and even considered using the stupid test to blow his nose. Instead he shoved it into his pocket and just stood there in misery.

The rest of the morning passed joylessly but also uneventfully. Finally, it was lunchtime, Kaemon's favorite time of the day.

"Now aren't you glad you didn't eat your lunch" Nao said as the boys made their way out to the courtyard to eat

"I wasn't going to eat all of it" Kaemon replied in indignation

"Yeah you probably were"

"Yeah I probably was" Kaemon replied while hanging his head

"Oh stop being so dramatic all the time. Let's just enjoy this beautiful day

Kaemon smiled and joined Nao on their favorite bench. He really didn't know why someone as popular and talented as Nao put up with him. He was even kind of handsome, with his athletic body and wavy brown hair. Kaemon considered his own appearance; blonde, not very tall, slight bulge in the tummy area…hardly the ideal Japanese youth. He consoled himself by tucking into his lunch with passion.

Nao sensed that something was bothering him but his guess was off. "Are you depressed about today's grades? Me too, I know I can do better than an 85."

Kaemon chocked on a huge mouthful of rice and Nao had to thump him on the back to help him swallow. "Oh my, that is a bit depressing" he replied while mentally vowing to burn his test at the first opportunity.

"I'll say. What did you get?"

Kaemon was spared an answer by the sudden appearance of one of their classmates. This was Umino Konomi, a nerdy girl with thick glasses who always received good grades. "Are you talking about the test? I thought I was going to die when I saw how horribly I did! Look upon my shame!"

She gave a great sniff as she held out an almost perfect test paper. The two boys stared at the big red 95 with blank expressions. "Oh my yes, how will you live with yourself?" they relied in simultaneous monotone.

"I know right! I knew I should have studied more but instead I went to the arcade. Oh curse that Sailor V game!"

"Sailor V was on the news this morning" Kaemon said, desperate to get the subject away from test scores "He caught a burglar last night!"

"Sailor V is so amazing" Umino shouted "I want to marry him someday!"

"Right…" Nao replied awkwardly "Well he is amazing, I'll agree to that. So many strange things have happened over the past year or so. Monsters have even shown up sometimes."

"I don't like monsters" Kaemon said with a shiver

"Speaking of strange things" Uminio said "have you guys heard of what's been going on in schools recently? One after another, the kids are being found unconscious in various situations, usually sports related."

"What?" Kaemon squeaked. He inched a bit closer to Nao as Uminio went on to say that they recover quickly but the doctor's are baffled.

"It's like they're simply drained of all energy" she explained "I've been looking at the pattern of the incidents and our school may be next."

"No, I need my energy!" Kaemon cried out. By this point, he was almost in Nao's lap and the other boy looked a bit annoyed

"Move over you coward" he said giving his friend a shove. Kaemon complied and now turned to his lunch for comfort "Half of these stories are just rumors anyway."

"I guess that's true" Kaemon said with a full mouth

"You better hope it's not true" Umino said, her face getting rather close to Nao's "After all, tomorrow's game would be a prime chance for another attack."

"I'm sure it will be fine. Hey if something goes wrong, maybe we'll get to meet Sailor V."

"That would be cool" Kaemon said

"You bet it would!" Nao replied with a grin "You'll be there of course?"

"Duh, I'd never miss you play."

"Except for the time…"

"No need to go into any of that" Kaemon said with a sour expression "I never said I was perfect. However I will be there tomorrow. You can count on it."

"Awesome!" He held up his hand and the two friends fist bumped

"I'll be there too" Umino said "I may even bring my pom poms to cheer you to victory!"

"I…don't think that's necessary" Nao said

The bell rang and the three kids all jumped slightly in surprise. Umino looked at her watch and said "Oh no, lunch is already over! We can't be late back to class!"

The boys agreed; the group packed up their things and ran back inside the school. As they did, a black cat stepped deeper into the bushes but always kept its eyes trained on Kaemon. The rest of the day passed without event and the final bell was eventually met with much rejoicing.

"Have a good weekend everyone" Haruna Sensei called out as the class prepared to leave "Don't forget to get some studying done though."

Kaemon moaned loudly but this was drowned by the rest of the class going about their business. He joined the rest of the students as they flooded to the front doors. He and Nao chatted a bit more as they changed their shoes, mainly about tomorrow soccer game.

"You'll be great" Kaemon enthusiastically declared while flinging out his arms for emphasis. He whacked another student in the head with his school bag and quickly cowered in apology. The other student rolled their eyes and walked on. A little ways away, the black cat continued to watch with a very unimpressed expression

"Let's just save that energy for tomorrow" Nao said as he led his friend away from the crowd

"Yeah, you're right. See you then"

"See you!"

The two boys started in the directions of their respective homes. Kaemon was cheerfully looking forward to the weekend and the journey home passed quickly. He entered the house with a mental debate of whether to tackle a video game or watch some anime but his mother soon popped that bubble.

"Hi Kaemon! Guess what? I ran into Mrs. Uminio today at the store and she said that you were going to be getting your English tests back today."

Kaemon felt his blood turn cold. How could he possibly get out of this one? He thought of lying, of faking a sudden stomach ache, of quickly eating the test…all sorts of crazy scenarios.

"Well let's see" she smiled and held out her hand

"Ah…the test…well you see…it's the funniest thing…actually I...that is...here you go." He watched his own hand shoot out with the test held in it. He braced himself as his mother took it and read it.

"A 30!" she bellowed with a suddenly demonic expression on her face "I did not raise you to have such poor study habits! I am utterly ashamed of you, Kaemon Tsukino!"

He stared at the carpet while his mother continued her tirade. He heard the front door open again and he turned to see his little brother taking his shoes off.

"What's going on?"

"I'm just about to ground your brother for his awful English grades."

What?!" Kaemon cried out "I can't be grounded this weekend, I promised Nao I'd be at his game tomorrow."

"Well we'll just see about that. Perhaps you can earn that privilege with extra chores and studying."

Kaemon made a series of choking sounds while Shingo giggled. "Serves you right, you know. You need to study more."

"Shut up, you little worm! You have no idea how hard middle school is!"

"Leave Shingo alone" Mrs. Tsukino demanded "If you want to go to the big game, there's a kitchen that needs sweeping."

Muttering something about child labor and slavery, Kaemon stomped into the kitchen and grabbed the broom. To add insult to injury, Shingo followed him and grabbed some cookies and milk.

"Ah the perfect afternoon snack. If only I had someone to share it with but cookies are only for good students."

"Say one more word and you won't like where this broom goes. Come to think of it, I already owe you a pounding for what you've been saying to the neighbor kids about me."

"What'd I say?"

"That I'm a coward and that I'm in love with Sailor V!"

"So you want me to lie to them, got it!"

"Why you…Take a Sailor V kick!"

Shingo dodged Kaemon's foot and he wound up kicking the counter. "Ouchie!"

"Well what do you expect, pulling foolish stunts like that" his mother said from the doorway. "Get back to work or you'll regret it. Come Shingo, let's go enjoy those cookies in the living room."

Kaemon growled and began to sweep with a vengeance. The resulting dust cloud made him sneeze and stumble backwards into the fridge. "Just do it. Get it over with" he muttered to himself between sneezes.

Eventually he had the kitchen looking spotless and his mother rewarded him by making him sit down and study until supper time. His father heard the whole story over supper, including the added details about having to stand in the hallway at school, and wasn't happy at all. It was almost a relief when Kaemon could finally escape upstairs for his evening bath.

The keyword was almost. He and Shingo often shared bath time and tonight was no different. He tried to ignore Shingo's bragging about his new high score he'd achieved while Kaemon had been doing his chores.

"Too bad you couldn't have been there" Shingo said as he rinsed off and then settled into the tub for a nice soak. "I know how you love that game."

Kaemon dumped water over his head to remove the suds and was surprised his anger didn't cause it to boil on contact. "Will you please be quiet? I knew I should have taken my bath later."

"Ha, you really just want to hurry up and get in bed. You sleep way too much you know…and eat…and whine…and cry…dang, what I wouldn't give for a manlier brother."

"I am manly" Kaemon said as he stood up and glared at his sibling

Shingo gazed calmly at Kaemon's nude body and said, with a slight smirk "Not that manly."

"You horrible bug!" He jumped into the tub, splashing water everywhere, and pulled Shingo into a choke hold.

"Let me go" he managed to twist around and start tickling his big brother. Kaemon released him and began to laugh uncontrollably

"See what I mean? You can be defeated by tickles from someone half your size."

"Anyone would be defeated by such a dirty trick!"

"Hey what's going on!" Mr. Tsukino called as he pounded on the bathroom door "Do I have to come in there?"

"No Dad" they said as they separated and took their sides of the tub

"Good. We've had enough drama today as it is."

The brothers looked at each other and stuck their tongues out. They didn't soak much longer but quickly dried off and went to their rooms. Kaemon flopped onto his bed with his towel still around his waist. "What a day! God bless the weekend!"

He almost fell asleep right there but he heard something outside of his window. Suddenly remembering what Umino had said at lunch, he popped up and thought of monsters. He ran into his closet and peered around the door. "It's probably nothing. I should just go to sleep quickly."

He put on his pajamas at warp speed and dove under the covers. He shivered with fear but quickly started drifting off to sleep. He heard the noise again, louder this time, and sat up. His window was now open and the black cat from the alley was sitting on the sill.

"Oh, it's the kitty with a bald spot. How'd you get here?"

"It's not a bald spot. That's very rude, you know" the cat said in the voice of a young woman "And I've been observing you all day."

Kaemon's felt like his heart had stopped beating. He was sure the cat had just spoken to him but that couldn't possibly be. "I've cracked…the stress today was too much and I cracked."

"Really now, do you honestly think a bad grade and a few chores can lead to insanity."

"Obviously they can because I'm talking to a cat."

"I'm not just a cat. My name is Luna and I've been looking for you for some time now, Kaemon."

"Wait a minute, how long were at the window just now?"

Luna rolled her eyes and said "I certainly didn't see anything I shouldn't have. I have more manners than that."

"You say that but who knows what you really saw!"

"You changed inside the closet, for crying out loud."

"So you were spying!"

"That's not the point!" Luna cried out in frustration "The point is that while I had my doubts, I'm now sure that you're the one I'm searching for." She looked less than pleased at this fact but went on "There are strange forces attacking this world. Most of the attacks have been on this city and it's getting worse. You must join the battle against the Dark Kingdom."

Kaemon suddenly relaxed and smiled "Oh I get it. I'm dreaming. What's next, dream cat? Do I get to partner with Sailor V?"

"You're not dreaming and as for Sailor V, well you at least have a similar role to play."

"Neat. What do I do?"

Luna sighed and said "For now, get some rest. I'll be back soon to give you more instructions."

"Ok, boss cat lady" Kaemon said with salute. He flopped back onto the pillows and was snoring in seconds

Luna looked at him in silence for a moment and sighed again "This is not going to be easy. Hopefully he'll be more convinced that I'm real in the light of day."

The following morning, Kaemon grunted and rolled over as his phone alarm went off. The noise persisted until he was forced to grope for it. Failing to find it, he sat up and finally managed to locate the annoying device. He looked at the clock on the screen and decided to sleep just a little longer. He'd had a strange dream about a talking cat trying to make him into some sort of super hero and he wondered if he could dream some more of it.

He looked sleepily at the spot where he'd dreamed the cat to be and gasped. A small golden pendant was sitting on the window sill. He grabbed it and examined it. It was round with multicolored circles at the edges and a crescent moon in the center. He'd never seen this necklace before and yet here it was in his hand.

He didn't know what to make of it. Surely the talking cat had been a dream and yet here was a physical object found exactly where'd she had sat. He shivered a bit and looked at the window itself. It was firmly locked and there was no other evidence he'd had a visitor last night. Kaemon got out of bed and walked to his mirror. For reasons he couldn't quite explain, he placed the pendant around his neck examined the effect. He shook his head and began to dress. He'd eat breakfast and take a walk before the game to clear his head. As he pulled on a shirt, the strange pendant remained in place beneath it.

* * *

At the community soccer fields, already the modest but excited crowd was gathering for the game. In the locker rooms, Nao was encouraging the team to play their very best.

"Come on guys! Let's get out there and give it our all."

"Of course we will" a team mate said with a smile

"I mean really give it 100%, let's show some energy!"

"Um, sure thing" the teammate responded while his smile slipped a little

"Go team go!" Nao shouted and some of the other boys shouted with him

"Gosh someone must had caffeine with breakfast" one boy said to another in a whisper

* * *

Kaemon was still absently walking the streets. He had pulled the necklace from under his shirt was staring at it as he walked. Could one of his parents have given it to him? No, that didn't make sense; he was hardly into bling and they weren't very happy with him at the moment anyway. Shingo certainly wouldn't give him something like this either.

"Could it all actually be real? Could I be some sort of superhero?" He thought of the Sailor V game in the arcade; that had some pretty scary things in it. Sure Kaemon had always dreamed of being something cool but he was more into the fame and not the battling.

He was so lost in thought that he walked headlong into someone on the sidewalk. The collision caused both of them to lose their footing and fall to the pavement. Many other pedestrians had to act quickly to avoid becoming part of the pileup.

"Stop daydreaming watch where you're going, you space case!" The other person spat angrily

"It was an accident, no need to be rude!" Kaemon snapped

He now focused on the person he'd run into; it was a girl with long dark hair. She was older than him but looked equally annoyed at the moment. "Oh yes, anyone else could be daydreaming about their jewelry and nearly break my ankle."

"Oh don't be a drama queen" Kaemon said getting to his feet "I trip all the time and I've never broken an ankle."

"Ha, so you are a space case" she waited another second or two to see if he'd help her up and then managed on her own "And rude too."

"Rude? You're the rude one, calling me names."

"I'm just calling it as I see it."

"I don't have to take this; I have better places to be."

"The hospital perhaps, to visit more victims of your clumsiness."

"No! I have a…" he grabbed her wrist and looked at her watch "a soccer game that you've just made me late to!"

"That is certainly not my fault" she said yanking her hand back "The fields are that way, I'd hate to see you daydream your way clear across Tokyo."

"I know where I'm going! Good day to you!"

"Same to you, space case."

"Stop calling me that!"

The girl simply dusted off her skirt and continued on her way. Kaemon made a face at her and hurried off towards the fields.

* * *

The game had not been going for very long but Nao and his team were already sweating from their effort. In response, the other team was kicking their energy levels into high gear. Even the audience seemed to be shouting and waving a bit more than they might normally. In the front row, Umino was clad in a cheerleading outfit and was dancing around with huge pom poms. She stumbled a little and yawned. Momentarily stunned by this, she quickly resumed her routine but with less vigor. All around her people were starting to flag in their cheering and more and more began to yawn.

On the field, the players too were slowing down. Only Nao was exempt from this phenomenon. "Yes, so much energy! I must act quickly before something interferes but it seems that this too shall be a good harvest!"

* * *

A little ways off from the stadium, a frustrated Kaemon was waiting for a crosswalk light to turn green. "Come on, come on, I'm already late. Nao is going to be mad at me."

The light turned green and he bolted across the street before anyone else had even moved. He turned a few more corners and was entering the stands. He stopped dead and gazed in horror upon a field covered by unconscious players. He glanced around and saw that the people in the stands were also slumped over. Only one player was still standing and Kaemon backed into the shadows before this person saw him. His horror mounted as he saw that the player was Nao, a Nao with glowing eyes and a demonic cackle.

Kaemon backed back out of the stadium and made a run for the nearby restrooms. The men's room was empty and Kaemon allowed himself to cry a little. "What's going on? Is Nao a monster?"

"No" a voice said behind him. He spun and dried his eyes enough to see Luna. "I've seen this before; it's likely that your friend has simply been replaced."

"Luna! This…this is the men's room."

"Seriously, that's what you focus on?" the cat exclaimed in frustration. "Those people are being drained of energy and that creature out there will do it again if we let it escape. We have mere moments to act."

"It really is true, isn't it?" Kaemon said in a thick voice "I'm a superhero."

Luna nodded and said "Do you want to help those people and save your friend?"

"No! I mean yes! I mean…what do I do?"

"You must become Sailor Moon. That pendant I gave you is the key. Simply say 'Moon Prism Power, Make Up!'"

Kaemon held the small golden charm in his hand and said "Mo…Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

The effect was instantaneous. Kaemon was bathed in ribbons of strange reddish pink energy and his clothing melted away. Instantly (or was it a few minutes, time seemed to have gone a bit funny) new clothes formed from the energy itself. He could also feel his body filling with a newfound strength. It was all over as quickly as it had begun.

He turned to the mirror and observed his clothes. He was dressed in what seemed to be a simple sailor suit complete with hat. His cuffs, collar, and hat band were blue alongside tall red boots, a red belt, and a long red neckerchief. This red cloth was fastened by the pendant which now was the size and function of a bolo tie.

"Oh my gosh…oh my gosh…I actually…it's like an anime or something."

"No it's very real" Luna said "And you are very much needed out there."

He was still shivering but he said "I'll do my best!"

Out on the field, the creature grinned widely and said "There! What a nice crop of energy. Master Jadite will be most pleased."

"I am most certainly not pleased!" a voice called out

The glowing eyed Nao looked around and saw a strange youth in a sailor suit standing on the field. "You're not Sailor V…who are you?"

"I…" Kaemon remembered all of the times he'd fantasized being a superhero, all of the games he'd once played with Shingo. He decided to use some of that material now "I am the champion of justice! The guardian of truth and goodness! You have ruined this day of good natured competition and attacked these innocent people and that makes me angry! I am Sailor Moon and in the name of the moon, I will punish you!" He struck what he hoped was a dramatic pose with one arm crossed across the other and pointing straight at the monster.

Luna, who was standing a little further back, asked "Was all of that really necessary?"

"Yes it was, don't you watch TV?"

The monster was equally unimpressed. "It doesn't matter who you are, you seem like a scrub ripe for energy harvesting." Kaemon watched in horror as the features of his best friend twisted and wrinkled and merged. A tall beast with brown wrinkled skin, wild hair, and a black unitard now stood in that spot. "I am the monster Morgaan and I will not be deterred from my mission."

"Um, Luna, what do I do now? You haven't taught me how to fight yet!"

Morgaan laughed wildly at this and said "You're hardly worth my time. I think my new friends will handle this!"

The monster raised his arms and the both soccer teams stood up. Their eyes were blank and lifeless but they moved quickly enough. Kaemon screamed and ran from this mob of zombie middle school students.

"Touch the broach!" Luna called out "You can summon your weapon if you do that!"

"Weapon? I can't fight these guys, they're just hypnotized or something." As soon as he finished speaking, one of the kids who had circled in front of him, kicked the ball with all his strength. Kaemon swore as the ball as the ball struck him right between the legs. He clutched his crotch and dropped to his knees while Morgaan was crippled with hysterics. The zombie players began to punch and kick Kaemon with vicious strength.

"It hurts, I hate this!"

Suddenly Morgaan screamed and the players stepped limply back. Kaemon looked up and saw the monster clutching a scratch on his face. A rose was embedded in the ground nearby and Kaemon looked in the other direction to see who that thrown it. A beautiful lady was standing high in the stands. She was dressed in a black, tuxedo like leotard with dark stockings. A domino mask concealed her face and the overall effect was that of a lady stage magician.

"Don't cry Sailor Moon" she said in a strong, heroic voice "All of these people are depending upon you."

"I can't!" his voice cracked as he wailed in fear and frustration "I can't help anyone! I'm just useless!"

His frantic voice reached a new pitch and Morgaan covered his ears in pain. The soccer zombies too were stunned by this high pitched whining. Perhaps it was some magic of his new form that caused this but it allowed Kaemon a chance to move to clear space in a wobbly run. He looked quickly around; at the lady in the stands, at the unconscious audience, at the beast that had stolen his friend's form. He mentally kicked himself for his cowardice and slammed his hand down on the broach. A golden boomerang with a red jewel in its center manifested in his hand and Luna ran to his side.

"Now Sailor Moon" she encouraged "throw that at the monster and shout out 'Moon Boomerang Action'"

"Ok" he took aim at Morgaan and shouted "Moon Boomerang Action!"

The weapon flew with surprising speed and accuracy. It glowed brightly and sliced right through the monster's chest. As it returned to Kaemon's hand, Morgaan clutched at his wound as his body crumbled into a pile of sand. A wave of what Kaemon guessed to be energy erupted from the sand and bathed the players and audience members alike. They began to stir and Luna beamed.

"They'll be alright now. In fact I suspect they'll wake up any minute."

"I did it! I actually did it!"

"Indeed you did" the lady magician said with pride "I hope to meet you again, Sailor Moon." She waved and jumped backwards over the back of the stands.

Kaemon stared at the spot where she'd been with a goofy grin and a blush in his cheeks. He was snapped out of his daze by the voices of people around him. "What happened?" "Is that Sailor V?" "I don't think so…"

"Um…you'll be fine now citizens. I must be on my way."

Kaemon ran from the field with Luna at his heels. "We really need to work on your style and confidence but I suppose all's well that ends well."

"Thanks…I think."

A while later, reporters and medics were swarming all over the field. Kaemon, back in civilian clothes, was sitting with Nao. "I went into the locker room early this morning to get ready and something clobbered me from behind. Just a little bit ago, I woke up in a broom closet."

"Oh wow, what a terrible experience" Kaemon said "Do, um, do they know who saved everyone?"

"No! Some people say it was Sailor V but others insist the costume was wrong. Gosh, I wish I could meet whoever they are."

"Perhaps you will one day" Kaemon said in a quiet voice

* * *

A blonde man in a dark uniform was not pleased. He was standing in a dimly lit stone chamber reviewing the battle in a crystal ball. "All of that energy…lost. The King will not be pleased. I swear Sailor Moon, I will not forget this day!"

* * *

Kaemon was sitting crossed legged on his bed just staring down at the transformation pendant. He was happy that everyone was alright but at the moment he just felt confusion and dread. Why did he specifically have to fight these monsters? How was he going to explain all this to his family? His injuries were already healing but his mother had noticed some bruising on his arms. She had quickly dismissed it as his usual clumsiness but what if he came home with broken arm or something.

"We need to start training you right away" Luna said. Kaemon wasn't even surprised that she was now sitting on his window sill again "The next attack could be at any time."

Kaemon simply sighed.

* * *

 **And episode one is now finished! What adventures await our reluctant hero in the future?**

 **By the way, I am trying my best to be accurate with the Japanese characters and culture but am willing to admit to possible mistakes. If anyone has any advice in this area or just notes in general, reviews are appreciated.**


	2. The Hand of Fate

The Hand of Fate

A fair haired young man in military style uniform strode down stone corridor. The torches on the walls illuminated a face deep in thought and devoid of humor. A pair of massive doors opened before him and he entered a spacious room with a raised throne on the opposite end. The man strode across the throne room and dropped to one knee.

"You summoned me, my king?"

"Yes Jadite" The man seated upon the throne was tall with pale skin offset by his red hair and purple clothing. "Have you formed a new plan to gather energy for our Great Leader?"

"I have indeed, King Beryl. The citizens of this world are ruled by superstition; I intend to use this fact for our purposes."

King Beryl smiled slightly and said "Human passions and beliefs are indeed useful tools. Are you confident that things will not go as they did last time?"

"I am, my King. I have created a monster more crafty and powerful than Morgaan. I am sure we will gather a large quantity of living energy for our Great Leader."

"I certainly hope so."

* * *

"Come on, just a little more…" Kaemon muttered fiercely as he worked the controls on the arcade cabinet. On the screen, a sprite resembling Sailor V was doing battle with a dragon. He was low on health but so was the beast. He had never beaten this particular boss before and today might be the day. "As soon as you next expose that weak point, you're mine!"

Just as Kaemon made his move, another arcade patron sneezed loudly. Kaemon jumped and twitched the joystick in the wrong direction. This left his character exposed and the dragon finished him off. Kaemon stared frozen at the "game over" screen in silent shock. He then banged his head down on the console with a loud moan.

"I was so close" he whined "What terrible timing for a sneeze."

"Bad luck with in the world of Sailor V today?" a bubbly voice asked

Kaemon popped up and sat rigidly on his stool. "Yeah…terrible luck…"

He turned to face a very pretty high school girl wearing an arcade apron. Her name was Unazuki Furuhata and her family owned the Game Crown Arcade. "Too bad…maybe you could try some of the others."

"I already have" Kaemon responded mournfully "I haven't won anything today and now I'm all out of money."

"Oh dear, no wonder you were so upset just now!"

"Yeah, no wonder…" he smiled awkwardly at her and prayed that his face wasn't turning red.

"I think you're simply having an off day" Unazuki said with a smile. "You're really very good at some of the games in here."

"Thanks! Video games are on one of my passions!"

"Well that's good for my business I suppose. I just wonder when you younger kids find time to study. One mustn't forget the importance of education. My brother says college is a real grind."

Kaemon almost fell off of the stool. Why did she have to make him feel worse by mentioning school? "You know" he said quickly trying to change the subject "It's not just games. I've been unlucky all day."

"How so?"

"I overslept again, kept tripping over everything, and the teacher yelled at me."

"I see…you must be unlucky a lot then." His mouth fell open and she gasped "Oh I'm sorry, that was rude of me."

"That's ok" he said with a laugh and a wave of his hand. Mentally, he was a little bit irked by the truth of her words but he didn't want to let her know that.

"Oh look, it's that cat that sometimes shows up here" Unazuki said with joy "Hi there kitty-chan!"

Kaemon was less thrilled. He wore a cool expression as the black cat with an odd crescent mark on her forehead strolled toward them. "Don't places like this ban cats?"

The cat shot him a look but Unazuki said "Only if they're a problem. She's no bother at all"

As Unazuki began to fawn over the cat, Kaemon perked up again. "Her name is Luna, you know."

"Oh is she yours?"

"No" he replied very quickly. He calmed himself and went on "She does hang around my house a lot though."

"You still cared enough to find out her name. You're a very sweet boy, Kaemon."

Now he was sure that he was turning red. He intended to stand up to thank her properly, possibly even striking a dashing pose but he somehow got his foot caught in the legs of the stool. Unazuki and Luna dodged as he crashed wildly to the floor.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, not really" Silently he again cursed his luck. Why did he have to have a klutz attack in front of Unazuki?

"Anyway…" she paused awkwardly "I really should get back to work now."

"Yeah, of course" Kaemon said as he got to his feet

"See you later" she said as she wandered off to help a small girl with the change machine.

Kaemon noticed that Luna was staring up at him. He looked away and walked out of the arcade without looking back at the cat. Luna caught up quickly and fell into step.

As they approached Kaemon's house, Luna made sure there was no one around and said "Just what were you doing in the arcade anyway? You have more important things to do."

"Oh I guess you'll say studying, right?" Kaemon replied in a miffed voice. He wasn't surprised at all the Luna was talking to him. She'd been doing little else for the past several days.

"Yes that is very important but what about your mission?"

"Look Luna, we've discussed this, I'm not hero material."

"I thought you loved reading heroic manga."

"That's different; that battle on the soccer field hurt a lot."

"Did you think that wouldn't happen?"

"I wasn't thinking anything!"

"That sounds pretty normal from what I've observed so far"

"Oh you" he fumed. He thrust a hand beneath the jacket of his school uniform and dragged out a golden pendant with moon symbol on it. "You dump this on me and make me fight a monster, what am I supposed to think?"

"That you have been chosen for a special purpose and need to take it seriously."

"What purpose? Defending the city from monsters? There's the police for that, and the army, and Sailor V, and…"

"And you" Luna interrupted firmly "You are a guardian of justice now and there's no escaping that."

"I can try"

"No you can't! Too many lives are at stake for that!"

"You still haven't said why I was chosen."

Luna sighed and replied "There are some things that I can't tell you yet for various reasons."

"Oh that clears everything up! Instruct me in the ways of battle, oh wise leader."

"There's no need for sarcasm" Luna replied with dignity "Everything will become clear in the course of time."

"Great, come back and recruit me then."

"Kaemon Tsukino! Are you honestly saying that you'll stand by while these monsters attack innocent people?"

"No, of course not!" Kaemon snapped. His expression changed and his voice trembled "I just don't like it."

"I'm sorry about that but it's your fated mission. I've been trying to give you some time to get used to the idea…"

"By showing up all the time and yakking about it?"

Luna's eye twitched but she continued "…but you really should begin training in earnest. Perhaps this weekend we can go to the park and…"

Kaemon sniffed the air and exclaimed "I totally forgot about supper! If I'm late Shingo will gobble it all up."

He ran inside without another glance at Luna and the cat was so stunned that she fell over. "What am I going to do with that boy?" she moaned

* * *

The next morning Kaemon was shaken out of his dreams by his mother. "Get up this instant, you're running late."

"Huh" he sat up and grabbed his phone "What happened to the alarm!? Oh curse this run of bad luck!"

Mrs. Tsukino sighed while she watched her son try to jump out of bed only to get tangled in the blankets. She stepped out of the room to let him get dressed and muttered "Is it bad luck or just someone forgot to set the alarm?"

Kaemon sped past her, still buttoning up his uniform, and stumbled his way down the stairs. He shoved a piece of toast into his mouth and ran right into his father on his way out of the kitchen.

"Slow down, son, or you'll hurt someone."

Kaemon couldn't respond because he was chocking on the toast he'd swallowed mid-collision. Mr. Tsukino thumped him on the back and he managed to swallow the chunk of bread. "Ah…thanks Dad. I think I'm cursed these days."

"Only these days…" his dad said in a quiet voice

"What was that?"

"Oh nothing; shouldn't you be on your way?"

"Oh yeah, see you later Dad!" Kaemon said as he shoved his feet into his shoes and ran out the door.

He ran through the streets in such a blind rush that he was almost hit at least twice while hurrying through intersections. Muttering all the time about his bad luck, he finally reached the school, was lectured for being late once again, and did his time in the hallway.

When he was allowed to rejoin the class, he noticed that the other students were in a much better mood than him. They were supposed to be quietly studying while Haruna-sensei was out of the room but instead they were talking about their excellent luck.

"Yesterday at the Game Crown, I actually managed to snag two prizes at once in the Crane Game" he heard Sho telling Akane

She replied to him with "I can top that; you know that gumball machine in the corner? Well I put in my coin and it simply poured with gumballs!"

In another part of the room, Natsume was telling her friends "I went to the ice cream parlor last night. They accidentally dropped my order and gave me one for free as an apology. As if that wasn't enough, the second cone had much more ice cream on it!"

"I keep finding money on the street!" Umino exclaimed "Soon I'm going to be rich!"

All over the room, kids were talking about their awesome luck and Kaemon felt like he was going to explode. "What's going on?" he demanded of no one in particular

His best friend, Nao, answered "Haven't you heard of the lucky coins you can get in the park?"

"What? No I haven't"

"You do always seem to be out of the loop somehow." Nao noticed Kaemon's expression and said "Sorry! Anyway, these are what I mean." Nao pulled a large golden coin from his pocket with the kanji for "luck" stamped on it.

"They're all the rage" Uminio shouted as she popped up next to them "There's a place in Juuban park selling these really cheap. They work too, look how rich I am" she dumped out her purse onto Kaemon's desk revealing (among other things) a small pile of 10 yen pieces. "All of these were given to me by the goddess of luck!"

"Wow…that's really not a lot of money…" Nao replied

"It's only the beginning" she said as she stuffed everything back into her bag

"Is that a Red Man key chain?" Kaemon asked, referring to the hero show meant for small kids

"I don't care what anyone says, Red Man is a true hero" Umino declared as she snatched up the key chain

"Anyway… you say you get these charms in Jubaan park?" Kaemon asked

"Yep!" Nao answered "Just look for the little stand with the pretty lady in purple."

"You bet I will!"

At that moment, Haruna-sensei reentered the room and everyone jumped back into their desks. "I hope all of this chatter is related to studying because there's going to be a quiz." The students all gasped but she then smiled and said "That's what I was planning to say but why don't we just skip it today?"

The students all expressed their joy and some even said "Lucky!" Haruna-sensei's smile grew wider as she opened a drawer in her desk and placed a small note about her date that night next to a luck coin. She then turned to the white board and began the lesson.

As time went by, Kaemon noticed that the students with luck coins were having awesome days. They seemed to get every question they were asked correct, for one thing. At lunch, many exclaimed how their families had packed their favorite things and some even found the food to still be the perfect temperature. Umino added to her coin collection while others found spare pencils and things they thought they had lost.

"Ok, I have got to get one of those coins" Kaemon said while putting his street shoes on at the end of the day.

"Good idea" Nao replied "I'd go with you but we have practice today to prepare for the upcoming game."

"Have fun!"

"I will! I have a feeling things will go very well today"

They fist bumped and Kaemon made a beeline for Jubaan Park. He was soon walking down a tree lined path keeping an eye out for his destination. Suddenly, Luna jumped out of a bush and fell into step with him.

"Did you put a tracking chip on me or something?"

"I've been keeping an eye on you all day."

"What about when I was changing for gym?"

"Oh for heaven's sake, I was not looking body the night we met, when are you going to let that go? Although it doesn't take much to see that you do need to get it into shape."

"Why is everyone so mean to me?"

"I can't imagine" Luna answered sarcastically "Now I assume you're here to investigate those coins?"

"I've already investigated how well they work and I want one!"

"Yes they work but it could be an enemy plot."

"What makes you say that?"

"It's a mysterious lady selling lucky charms that actually work."

"What's your point?"

"You really don't see that as a potential problem?"

"How could good luck be a problem? Ah here we are!"

They were standing at the edge of a large, grassy clearing. A small table covered in luck coins of various colors was situated under a shady tree. A tall, beautiful woman with long black hair and a purple dress was serving a flock of eager customers. Many were Kaemon's contemporaries but all ages were represented.

"Thank you, thank you" she was saying in a slightly accented voice "You're all too kind but I'm only here to serve. I never dreamed that my little charms would become so popular."

"No thank you" a college aged man was saying "With this kind of luck on my side, she'll finally notice me for sure!"

"I'd be happy to meet anyone" a girl near him said "and now I will."

"Just wait until I write into that game show!" another customer was saying

"So cool!" Kaemon said "I'm going to go get one right now!"

"With what money?" Luna asked "Didn't you spend all of this week's allowance at the arcade?"

He froze and looked stunned. "Oh crap…" he said, letting his head hang "More bad luck."

"That is in no way bad luck" Luna said "That is irresponsible spending. Honestly, almost all of what you've been recently putting down to bad luck is irresponsibility or simply not paying attention."

"Well I wish I didn't have to pay attention to you" Kaemon grunted as he stomped away in a huff

"If you don't pay attention to good advice from someone" Luna said as she walked beside him "you'll never get anywhere in life."

"What does that mean?"

"Just that from what I've seen so far, you're not setting yourself up well for the future."

"I'm just a kid."

"You're fourteen years old and fast approaching high school."

"Just be quiet! I don't have to take this from a nagging, controlling pet!"

"I am nobody's pet!"

"Leave me alone, you stupid furball!"

He broke into a run to get away from Luna but quickly slammed right into someone coming the other way. "I'm so sorry…you!"

"We meet again, space case." It was the girl he had met on the day of his first battle. She was looking just as annoyed as the last time. "I suppose I'll say thanks for not knocking me down all the way this time."

"Why don't you watch where you're going?"

"I was watching. You were the one who was sprinting down the path to get away from a cat."

"You're spying on me?"

"Hardly" she answered with a bored expression "I have far better things to do with my time. However, I did notice that you seemed to be arguing with a cat. Are you trying to communicate with a higher life form?"

Kaemon fumed and said "Would I be talking to you if I were?"

"Well that's certainly mature" she replied smugly

"Mature? You started the insults!"

"I only call it as I see it and I see a space case who runs people over and talks to cats."

"In that case, I see a…a…"

"As fascinating as the end of that sentence eventually would have been, I have to be going now. See you later, space case."

Kaemon turned red but couldn't think of anything to say. He kicked a nearby trashcan in frustration but then hoped around whining about his hurt foot. The girl stopped to glance at him and roll her eyes before continuing on her way.

"I see a rude, immature witch!" he shouted after her but couldn't be sure if she heard him. People around were staring by now and he walked away in silent embarrassment. Luna had watched the whole thing from a distance and was praying for strength.

* * *

The next morning; the new, very loud alarm his mother had given him got Kaemon out of bed on time. He had tried to turn it off but she had put in on the other side of the room and by the time he had found it, he started to feel hungry for breakfast.

"Mom there's a stranger at the breakfast table!" Shingo cried out when Kaemon yawned his way in

"Oh shut up!"

As he walked to school, he noticed that the traffic was kind of odd. More than once, cars raced past at top speed and even ran red lights. Nobody crashed but there were some near misses. Kaemon wondered about this but was more concerned with getting to school before the bell.

"Hey there Nao" Kaemon said to his friend who was busy dribbling a soccer ball near the shoe lockers "Can you believe it, I'm actually on time today!"

"That's nice" he said in a dismissive manner "This is the longest I've ever done this! I'm so amazing!"

"Uh…yeah you are but not just for dribbling a ball."

"You should have seen me at practice! Everything went right for me. Now that I have this luck, I can do anything!"

"Whatever you say Nao" a concerned Kaemon replied "Don't you think we ought to get to class?"

"Class? Who needs it? I'm going to be a famous athlete and become rich and I'll never need school again. I don't even know why I came today."

"Nao, that's not like you."

"No, it's the new and luckier me!"

Kaemon didn't know what to say. "Well the bell will be ringing soon so I should go. I hope I see you in class."

Nao didn't even respond as Kaemon slowly walked away. All the way to his classroom, he passed students bragging about their awesome luck, showing off perfected talents, or even picking on others for not being as awesome as them. He peered into one classroom not far from his own and saw a whole circle of students surrounding one boy trying to read. He pushed his glasses back up his nose and leaned lower over his book but his classmates continued to sneer at him.

"Look at genius Mizuno and his books!"

"Working so hard when all he needs are these" some other students chanted in unison while holding out their luck coins.

"You always lorded your perfect grades over us, Mizuno, but who's better off now?"

The timid boy looked up from his book and said "I never lorded my grades over anyone. I'm very happy for you but I still prefer hard work over relying on luck."

"Hear that, he still thinks he's better than us."

"No I don't. Please let me read."

"Stop that!" Kaemon shouted "Leave him alone you bullies!"

"Oh look it's the clumsy crybaby from Class B" one boy sneered

"Not even a hundred coins could improve his luck"

Kaemon turned red and said "If you think luck is everything and you don't need class then get out of here!"

They all laughed. The leader of the gang said "Come on guys, these dorks aren't worth our time."

They all wandered off to a far corner of the room to keep discussing all the wonders of their newfound luck. Kaemon walked over to the boy with the book and said "That was awful of them, the jerks. You're Akira Mizuno, right?"

"Y…yes and you're Tsukino aren't you?"

"Call me Kaemon. I've seen you around but never had the chance to talk."

"You wouldn't be interested in talking with me" Akria responded meekly as he lowered his head. "I'm not very interesting at all."

"That can't be true! It sounds like you're really smart."

"Thank you and thank you for your help a minute ago but I'm used to it. You better get to your own classroom; the bell will ring any minute." He returned to his book, the light reflecting of off his glasses obscuring his eyes.

"Well ok. Just remember not to let those jerks push you around."

Kaemon ran down the hall and entered his own classroom right as the bell rang. "I made it!"

Nobody seemed to notice him. In fact, Haruna-sensei wasn't even in the room. Many students in here were also acting boastful and strange. Others were quietly sitting and trying to avoid the ones with the luck coins but it wasn't easy.

Suddenly, someone grabbed Kaemon from behind and spun him around. Umino was wearing a fancy dress rather than her school uniform and had even put on makeup (although the thick glasses were still obscuring much of her face).

"Hey there Kaemon, let's go on a date!"

"WHAT!? I, er, that is class is starting."

"I hear Haruna is on a date herself so what's the harm?"

Kaemon rolled his eyes slightly and thought to himself 'Some teacher...she lectures me all the time but can be really immature herself.' Out loud he said "What about your grades?"

"Who needs grades? I'm doing just fine with luck. Oh let's skip the date, let's just make out!"

She puckered up and Kaemon backed away so quickly that he fell backwards.

Others in the class in turn backed away from him. "Ew, get away from the klutz. He'll corrupt our perfect luck."

Umino on the other hand said "Oh, on the floor, I like it."

"I have a stomach ache!" Kaemon screamed "I need to go to the nurse!"

He crawled quickly out of the classroom, got to his feet, and ran down the hall. Umino was saying something about this not being very lucky but he didn't stop to hear more. Everywhere he went, students were running amok acting on their ever desire. Teachers and staff tired to maintain order but the wild students simply continued to do what they liked.

"Just try to punish us! Our luck will make things bad for you!"

Kaemon finally just fled the school altogether and found what seemed to a party forming. One of the guys who had been bullying Akira was addressing the crowd of students. "We don't need to hang around this dull place. Let's go find some real fun!"

"Yeah!" "Let's do it!" "Nothing can go wrong after all!" were just some of the cries in response.

Everyone scattered and Kaemon took refuge in the bushes near the school gates. "Everyone has gone crazy!"

"Now do you believe me" Luna said. He looked up and saw her on top of the wall behind him. She jumped down and situated herself in front of him. "This may be the worst enemy attack in a long time."

"It looks like it. They're not just lucky, they're insane!"

"I'm afraid that's partially human nature. Would perfect luck really bring out your better qualities?"

"Um…maybe."

"I rather doubt it. Anyway, it's more than that. Those coins are ramping things up, causing the holders to build up energy so it can be stolen later."

"That's messed up!"

"Indeed" Luna replied "Not the most eloquent statement but a truthful one."

"What should we do?"

"Investigate obviously. We need to find the source and stop this."

He thought of his possessed friends and gulped. "Ok, I'll do it!"

"Wonderful!" Luna beamed

"Uh, if it does come to a battle…what were those words again?"

Luna flopped over in frustration before saying "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

"Yeah, I've been meaning to say, that sounds kind of weird."

"Oh just get a move on!"

"Ok!"

Together they hurried to the park. Kaemon was still nervous but he was determined to help Nao and the others. They heard many voices as they approached the clearing from before. Peering out from some thick bushes, they observed the purple robed woman surrounded by a small crowd including Nao and Uminio.

"They got here before us"

Luna responded "Well I imagine they had all green lights at crosswalks and like that."

"Oh yeah."

The woman was speaking to the crowd. "Do you like my lucky charms?"

"Yes!"

"Have you enjoyed succeeding in all that you do?"

"Yes!"

"Do you feel grateful for this good fortune?"

"Yes!"

"Then show that gratitude by offering your energy and your lives to the Dark Kingdom!"

"YES!"

"Oh no! Kaemon, you need to transform now while no one is looking."

"Ok" he backed further into the bushes and said "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

His pendant was suddenly on the outside of his shirt and bathing him in ribbons of light. In seconds he had become Sailor Moon and was mustering his courage. He ran from the bushes and stopped a little ways from the crowd.

"Stop this right now!"

"What's this?" the woman demanded angrily

"What's this is that you're taking advantage of these people and their desires to better their lives. You reel them in with promises of improved fortune and then corrupt them! I can't let that pass! I am Sailor Moon, the handsome soldier who fights for truth and justice, and in the name of the moon I will punish you!"

"I've heard of you" the woman said as her skin began to wrinkle and her long hair to writhe like snakes "You foiled our plans before but your luck is running out. My new friends; tear him to pieces!"

"Yes!" the crowd turned to him with glowing eyes and began to march forward.

"Oh no" Kaemon shouted "not this again!"

"Don't be afraid, Sailor Moon" Luna shouted "If you can stop that woman, this will all end."

"You hope" the woman cackled in a deeper, more monstrous voice. Her long robe turned a much deeper purple, her skin turned brown and wrinkled, and her hair was now shaped like long arms. "Then again you don't have any hope at all."

"Another monster, this is too much!"

He saw Nao leading the pack and grinning cruelly. The other zombies laughed as he lunged forward and began to choke Kaemon. He couldn't believe it; his best friend was trying to kill him. Kaemon struggled but Nao had always been the stronger one of the two. "Please…I don't…want to…hurt…"

Nao laughed and tightened his grip. Kaemon couldn't breathe and he didn't know what to do. Suddenly, the monster's cackling turned into a scream of pain. The zombies all froze and Nao loosened his grip slightly. Kaemon wriggled free and saw that the monster had a rose embedded in her shoulder. Standing on a tree branch above the battle was the masked woman who had encouraged him before.

"It's you!" Kaemon exclaimed with joy (and a slight stirring of hormones).

"Yes it is I, the Masked Rose! You must stay strong and focused, Sailor Moon. These people may be enemies right now but they're depending on you!"

"Yeah" he said with a nod

The monster ripped out the rose and shouted "Don't just stand there, do your duty to the Dark Kingdom!"

The zombies woke up and advanced again. Nao closed in but Kaemon did the first thing he could think of; he reached out and tickled Nao in his top secret vulnerable spot under his arm.

"I'm sorry but desperate times call for desperate measures."

Zombie Nao was too busy laughing to fight back and Kaemon slipped past him. The rest of the crowd was closing in but he plowed on through, knocking people left and right.

"I guess knocking people down can be a talent after all."

"It's only because they weren't ready for it" Luna called out

"Whose side are you on?"

He was now near the monster; she was waving her hair arms threateningly and the fingers actually looked sharp. She proved this fact by clawing at the ground and leaving deep gouges. Kaemon stepped back but also touched his bolo tie to summon his boomerang. The hair snatched his arm and began dragging him forward but he sliced it with the weapon's sharp edge. She swiped again with another claw and he jumped back to dodge. A few more maneuvers like this backed him into the tree.

"You need to strike now!" the Masked Rose called out from above him

"Right! Moon Boomerang Action!"

He threw the weapon while the monster was rushing at him. She had left herself open and it ripped right through her, the same as Morgaan. She screamed and stumbled to the ground. In another few seconds all that remained of her was sand. Nearby, and all over the district, the luck coins also crumbled into sand. The zombies all collapsed and the Moon Boomerang returned to Kaemon.

"Two for me, monsters zip" he said in a weak, trembling voice

"And fine victories they were. I'll see you again, Sailor Moon!" The Masked Rose smiled at him and leapt from the tree with amazing power. She landed a good distance away and soon was out of sight.

"She's cool"

"I don't know" Luna said "We really don't know anything about her."

"Oh lighten up."

By this time, everyone was waking up.

"What was I doing?"

"How did I get here?"

"I think I remember…" the person shuddered as if they didn't like recalling their recent actions

"I remember!" Uminio wailed "I acted so unlady like with Kaemon!"

"Hey! Did you save us" Nao asked turning to the bemused Sailor Moon

"Uh…yes citizen, yes I did"

He pulled his cap a little lower so Nao wouldn't recognize him but everyone was too excited to try guessing identities.

"Wow, it's Sailor V!"

"No, this one looks different."

"I think I remember him saying that he's Sailor Moon"

The crowd pressed in all wanting to thank him. At the edge of events Luna said in a low voice "Well, I suppose it was going to happen eventually. I just hope fame doesn't go to his head."

"Why yes I am pretty awesome!" Kaemon was saying as he struck a pose

"Too late" the cat moaned

* * *

Jadite watched these events through his crystal with much frustration. "My monster, Bam, failed me. Sailor Moon, I'm beginning to become very angry with you."


	3. Getting in Shape

**And I'm back! I don't know why this takes me so long. Yeah I have life to deal with but I could still write. Still I think I'm starting to get a bit better and I do have several projects going at once. Ok, enough of that, I hope you all are enjoying my gender bender experiment!**

* * *

Getting in Shape

"Hey that's not fair!" Kaemon insisted

"What's not fair?" Shingo asked

"You keep using the same moves!"

"So do you Kaemon, I just use them well."

"I say it's gotta be cheat codes!"

"I call it intelligence, you might want to try it someday."

Kaemon growled as he clutched his controller. On the TV screen, a digital representation of Sailor V kicked at the monster Shingo controlled but the monster side stepped the attack. Sailor V was then struck down by the monster's finishing move and yet another star was added to Shingo's victory list. Kaemon fell out of a sitting position and lay sprawled on the floor in despair. Shingo laughed and flashed a "V for victory" with his fingers.

"Maybe I should play as Sailor V" he said "It's just sad to see him lose this much."

"I'm just having a bad day; video games are one of my talents."

"Yeah that will get you far in the world" Shingo replied sarcastically

"Ok now you're just trying to pick a fight" Kaemon said popping back up.

"We could settle it in another rematch" he said holding up a controller

Kaemon almost rose to the bait but at that moment Mrs. Tsukino entered the living room and said "That will have to be later, boys. Supper is on the table."

"Oh boy!" Kaemon declared as he popped up from the floor and sprinted to the table. Shingo exchanged a look with his mother and they both sighed. Kaemon took his place at the table and noticed that his dad was already seated.

"I someone ready to eat?" Mr. Tsukino laughed

"You've known me for my entire fourteen years and you have to ask that question?"

"No I guess I didn't" his father said with a smile as he adjusted his glasses.

"How was work, Dad?" Kaemon asked as Shingo sat down beside him and Mrs. Tsukino began to serve the meal.

"Busy" Mr. Tsuikino answered as the family began to eat "As editor, I already had enough on my plate at the magazine but now there's a new superhero to follow."

Kaemon gagged slightly on his rice but the only reaction was a smirk from Shingo and his mother telling him to slow down. He took a drink of tea and said, in what he hoped was an innocent voice, "Oh, do you mean Sailor Moon?"

"Yes indeed. He's only been spotted twice now but that's enough to stir up the media and the readers. Is he connected to Sailor V? Is he another form of Sailor V? There's so much mystery which only helps the speculation."

Kaemon suddenly became very aware of the golden pendant concealed under his shirt. He had wondered more than once if he should show it, and what it did, to his family. So far he'd decided to maintain the secret but he wondered if that was right.

Mrs. Tsukino said to her husband "Superheroes do seem to be a thing these days, don't they Kenji? Sailor V, Sailor Moon…hmmm, I wonder why both are sailors? Do they come from the ocean?"

"That's a good point, Ikuko" Mr. Tsukino said to his wife "Both look more at home in the navy than in battle against monsters."

"They don't all look like that" Kaemon said in a low voice. The rest of the family stared inquisitively and he said "Um, I heard that at the battle with the luck monster there was another hero who showed up, a lady hero."

"And just how would you know anything like that?" Shingo asked

"Uh, Nao told me. He was kind of groggy but he glimpsed her" It was a lie but he was already protecting a big secret "He said that she supported Sailor Moon in battle and was dressed very differently from him. Apparently she was a bit sexy."

Kenji simply looked a bit surprised but Ikuko furrowed her brow. "I'm not sure I like my little boy using words like 'sexy'."

"Come on Mom, I'm not that little."

"You certainly aren't" Shingo agreed

"Thanks Shin…wait, was that a complement?"

"Sure! It's gotta be a record to have the largest waist size in your class."

Kaemon's jaw dropped while both parents looked stern "Shingo!" Ikuko said sharply "Apologize to your brother."

"Since when do you I need to apologize for telling the truth?"

"Since you framed the truth in such a rude way" Kenji replied

"Dad!" Kaemon shouted with a slight squeak in his voice

"I'm sorry son; that came out wrong."

"Mom, do you think I'm fat?"

"Of course you're not fat" Ikuko said with a reassuring look "Mind you, you could be a bit more careful about what you eat."

"And how much" Shingo added

"You eat a lot too!" Kaemon snapped at him

"I'm a growing boy" Shingo answered innocently "I need my vitamins."

"Yes you do certainly get a lot of vitamin pie."

"Not as much as you."

"Boys; that is enough!" Ikuko said in a tone so firm that even Kenji jumped "Must every family gathering turn into a bickering session?"

"Sorry Mom" the boys said looking sheepish

"Why can't we just have a family meal and talk about nice things?"

"Ok" Shingo said "We can talk about school and how I got an A on my last test. How are your grades, dear brother?"

Both parents simultaneously and sternly barked "Shingo!" while Kaemon looked ready to gouge his sibling's eyes out with his chopsticks.

* * *

After supper and his evening bath, Kaemon was finally free of Shingo. He flopped onto his bed and sighed. It wasn't easy having such a mean brother. Sure yeah, he ate a lot and his grades weren't the best and he had other flaws…but Shingo shouldn't point them out!

Kaemon heard the window open and he didn't even open his eyes as he said "I'm buying a lock, Luna."

"Oh you are not" Luna replied "You know you love me."

Kaemon opened his eyes and looked at the black cat. "I don't know…you did turn my life upside down."

"I awoke you to your destiny."

"I need to get a new destiny then."

"Surely you are glad you saved your friends twice now?"

"Yeah" he turned his head to stare at the ceiling "Being Sailor Moon isn't all bad and I have done good but I do wonder what's going to happen in the future."

"Overtime your mission parameters will expand but for now you need to focus on defeating the Dark Kingdom!"

"Mission what?"

"Parameters" Luna repeated with a sigh "Basically you'll have more duties in the days to come."

"Oh be still my beating heart"

"If nothing else it will be good for you, teach you more responsibility."

"Oh not you too" Kaemon said in frustration "I've had enough this evening from Shingo about how fat I am."

"Well he's not entirely wrong"

"What did you say?"

"You heard me" Luna sternly responded "For warrior of justice, you do eat a few too many snacks."

Kaemon sat up and tried to ignore how the waistband of his pajama bottoms felt a bit too tight. "Arggg! Why is everyone picking on me?"

"Sometimes we just call it as we see it" Luna snarked

"Oh, why don't you go away and let me sleep?"

"Fine but you really must take better care of yourself. Some actual training wouldn't be amiss…or exercise of some form."

"I get it, I get it. I don't need another lecture."

"Did you ever think that people lecture because they care?"

She slipped out of the window and Kaemon sat still for a second. Then he turned off the light and snuggled into bed.

* * *

"Alright kids, I hope you're ready to sweat!"

Kaemon yawned while the rest of the class stretched. He wasn't particularly fond of any class but PE was certainly not at the top of his list. The teacher was a beefy man who liked to poke fun at weaker kids and Kaemon certainly qualified.

"Let's run some warm up laps…go!"

The class started off around the track and Kaemon almost instantly began to lag behind. The teacher told him to hustle and he sped up a little. Up ahead he watched other boys like Nao effortlessly keeping proper pace and making good time. He was too busy grunting and groaning his way along to see a couple of boys shoot ahead of the pack. When the laps were finally over (the rest of the class having to wait on Kaemon) the teacher complimented them on their improvements.

"I don't know why you do so badly at laps" Nao said during this time.

"Yeah I get lots of practice when late for school" Kaemon said while mentally adding 'and running from monsters.'

"That's really not the best practice but I guess it counts. Of course you do often still arrive late."

"Ok, ok I'm slow I get it."

"Sorry" Nao said with an apologetic expression.

"Ok class let's try some sit ups; divide into partners."

Kaemon and Nao paired up and Nao did great while Kaemon held his feet. It was not the same story when they switched. "Come on Kaemon, you can do it."

"I hate this! My stomach is screaming!"

"So are you, just calm down and focus."

"Ok" he continued to grunt a lot but he made it through the exercises. Meanwhile the teacher was complimenting Honda and Shigeru, the boys who had excelled in the laps.

"Very nice hustle today boys. Your improvement is fantastic!"

The rest of the class mumbled but not so loudly the teacher could hear. They did more exercises with Honda and Shigeru topping the class (in almost everything Kaemon was at the bottom). Finally gym class was over and the boys went to the changing rooms.

"Man you guys were on fire today" a classmate told the pair

"Yeah we sure did" Shigeru said with a proud smirk

Honda said, a little more kindly, "Thank you"

"Look at those muscles" another boy said, indicating the pair's now bare upper bodies. Others said the same and Kaemon looked down at his own body. He had stripped off his gym clothes and he looked fairly unimpressive standing in his underwear. He even ruefully jiggled his belly a bit and Nao gave him a friendly look.

"Hey they're them and you're you. Everybody is different."

"Yeah but I wish I was their kind of different."

Honda had overheard this and said "Why don't you come and work out with us after school then?"

"What?"

"Shigeru found this awesome gym and he invited me to go with him and it's done wonders."

"As you can plainly see" Shigeru added

"Anyway, it's not that far from here and the programs are great."

"I don't know…aren't fancy gyms expensive?"

"That's the best part; the rates aren't actually that bad and you can do a free trail to start."

"I just wonder if Kaemon is really going to put in the work to look as manly as us" Shigeru said

"Sure I will! I'll go today right after school. You'll come too, won't you Nao?"

"I am curious. Ok, I'll go. If nothing else I can be your moral support."

"Is it that hard to think I could stick to an exercise program?"

Nao looked apologetic and said "Gotta be honest, just a little…but I'll be there to help."

"Great!"

"Now it's almost time for class."

"I know."

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

Kaemon blushed as he realized he was still in his underwear. He hurried into his clothes and joined the others on the way to class.

* * *

As soon as school let out, Honda and Shigeru led the way to the gym. Several kids from gym had become interested and thus it was quite a party gathered outside of the fancy building. A sign over the door read "Morita's Gym: Sweat Your Way to Perfection!"

"Wow"

"Cool"

"I never knew this was here!"

"Well it's no good looking at it" Honda said "Let's go in."

The boys filled in and were greeted by a tall man shorts and a tank top that showed off his perfectly sculpted body. "Oh my, so many new faces. I'm Mr. Morita, the owner of this gym. I see Shigeru and Honda took my suggestion of referring this place to their friends seriously."

"Yes sir" they replied

"Well they probably also mentioned our free trial period so don't worry about money. Simply get your workout clothes on and prepare to sweat your way to a perfect body!"

In no time at all, the boys were warming up under the expert instruction of Mr. Morita. All over the place, other groups of people of all sorts and ages were receiving help from trainers wearing official Morita's Gym headbands. The boys were thrilled to get special attention from the owner and worked extra hard.

"That's it, get those muscled warmed up! Now let's head over to the equipment." He helped them get set up on various machines and weight lifting devices. He also told them to switch over after a short amount of time and thus soon everyone would experience the full workout. "I'll be coming back occasionally to check on you guys. Remember this is the first step to that perfect body you've always wanted!"

"This is actually kind of cool" Nao said as he glanced from his treadmill to Kaemon's. Kaemon nodded but was already breathing heavy. "Seriously? We've only just started."

"Give me a break" he said between deep breaths "I've already had one work out today."

"Well if you get through this one, maybe tomorrow won't be so bad."

"Yeah maybe"

Soon it was time to switch and Kaemon struggled with a weight machine. He sweated and groaned while his classmates kept glancing at him. Shigeru made a few comments but everyone else was too focused on working out to answer.

Mr. Morita came by and blew his whistle. "You're doing great boys! Take a short breather and then get back to it."

Many responded enthusiastically as they all sat to rest their muscles. Kaemon said something about a bathroom break and wandered away. Shigeru said "Who wants to bet he won't be back?"

Nao jumped to his friend's defense "Hey he came along, didn't he? I think he does want to get in shape."

"Yeah but do you think he'll really stick with it? I know he's your friend but even you've got to admit he's a flake."

"And a whiner" another boy added

"Not to mention a pig. It's no wonder he tires easily with that bottomless appetite."

"Well…" Nao said slowly "I'll admit he's not the most refined person…"

"Oh just say it" Shigeru said "Kaemon is pathetic! Hardly the ideal guy at all."

"I never said that!" Nao said but the rest continued to joke and chat about Kaemon until it was time to continue the workout. Everyone took their places and continued the regime but Kaemon was nowhere in sight.

"Told you guys" Shigeru said with a smile

Nao glanced towards the restrooms with concern but Mr. Morita came by. "Let's keep focusing Nao; you won't get that perfect body by daydreaming."

The words had an effect on him; he felt more determined to keep going. He'd check on Kaemon later.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kaemon was sitting on a bench outside the gym with a bag of vending machine snacks and a soda. He had been coming back from the bathroom when he overheard the others talking about him. Ducking behind the exercise equipment, he heard all of the insults and even Nao halfheartedly agreeing. Rather than facing the group again, he'd sneaked out and decided to drown his feelings in food.

"I really am pathetic. I'm fat, I'm stupid, I'm lazy…everyone knows it. Nao knows it; he's probably just my friend because he feels sorry for me. I might as well give up now."

At this he chugged his soda and almost choked when a voice said "Talking to yourself? You really are a space case."

With difficulty, Kaemon swallowed the beverage and saw it was that annoying, black haired girl again. She was giggling at the look on his face and she laughed harder as he became angry.

"It's rude to laugh you know."

"I couldn't help it. The look on your face was priceless."

"I thought I was going to choke!"

"It would have been your own fault. A little self control wouldn't hurt."

"Look I don't need a lecture right now. I already know…oh never mind!"

He crossed his arms and looked sullen. The girl softened and said "I heard some of what you said. Did something happen in there?" As she said this she gestured toward the gym.

"It's none of your business."

"Look, I know we don't really know each other but I hope you're not falling for this place's dumb ideas about perfection. Nobody is perfect and that's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Well…I suppose…"

"It's true you know. In fact you're a prime example of how nobody is perfect."

"I guess you're…hey!"

"I got you to smile at least. See you later…and try to cheer up!"

"Who says I want to see you later?" he called but she was already on her way. He sat back on his bench chewing on her words to him…as well as his snacks.

* * *

"So what did you do today?" Kenji asked Kaemon at supper

"He probably goofed off at the arcade all afternoon" Shingo said

"I asked your brother, not you Shingo"

"Well Dad, you might like to hear that I worked out after school."

The rest of the family looked shocked and Ikuko recovered first "Do you mean you played sports with your friends or something like that?"

"Well it was with friends from class…well some of them are friends…anyway we went to a gym."

"Did the scale break when you weighed in?" Shingo asked

"I didn't weigh in; it was a free trial to see if we liked the place."

"Did you?" Kenji asked

"Well…the place is great but…let's just say it wasn't the best first day."

"Why not?" Ikuko asked

"I ended up leaving a little early…I…" he hesitated and simply said "I realized that I have a ways to go."

"That's for sure" Shingo threw in

"I think this is very mature" Kenji said "although you really don't have to go to a fancy gym. Just making little adjustments to your daily life would do the trick."

"And if you really are committed to getting in shape, you won't be needing desert" Shingo said

"Don't touch my desert!"

The rest of the family laughed at this and conversation turned to other avenues. After the meal, Kaemon found his father in the living room and asked to have a word with him.

"Of course; what's on your mind?"

"What's the perfect man?"

"Does this have to do with the sudden work out craze?"

"Sort of."

"Kaemon, you're still growing up and I'm sure you'll be a very find man one day." Seeing his son's expression he added "I didn't mean to imply that you aren't fine now. You may not be the strongest, fastest, or even the thinnest but people put way too much emphasis on those things anyway. In my work at the magazine and at other media sources, I see it all too much."

"Thanks Dad, I think I get it."

"Anytime son."

* * *

The next morning was the first day of the weekend. After a lazy morning, Kaemon strolled down to the arcade. He was a little surprised Nao hadn't called him to do something but then again he was busy with soccer and everything so it wasn't that out of the ordinary. He played a few rounds at the arcade but his allowance was stretching a little bit thin. He was also bummed that Unazuki wasn't working today.

After a little while, Kaemon left the arcade and began to wander the sidewalks wondering what to do next. He soon realized that Luna had fallen into step with him. Knowing the crowds would mask their conversation as long as they weren't obvious, he glanced at her and said "Still stalking me I see."

"Enough to see you're finally starting to take better care of yourself…sort of."

"What do you mean by sort of?"

"You didn't seem to like your brother's suggestion of giving up desert."

"You are one creepy cat. Do you have the house bugged or something?"

"No not bugged. I was simply outside the window at suppertime. I am supposed to watch over you and help you become a fine hero after all."

"Yeah but it's still creepy."

"Would you rather I move in like a normal housecat?"

"It would mean at least I know where you are. Where do you stay anyway? Who feeds you?"

"I get by" she answered vaguely "Getting back to the point; I think you're on the right track by getting in shape. I just hope you can really stick with it."

"Does everybody have to throw that stuff in?"

"We're just being honest. You told your family you didn't stick around at the gym so that's not a point in your favor."

"Well everyone was being mean…"

"Do you have any idea how childish that sounds?"

"Yes! I get it Luna. I'm a child, I'm fat, I'm…"

"Ok, ok Kaemon calm down. I didn't mean all of that. I'm just trying to help you."

"Ha! You don't care about me, you care about Sailor Moon!"

"Wow, you are upset. Yes I want you to focus on the mission but who said I didn't care about you?"

He hung his head and mumbled "Sorry."

"That's ok. If you recognize all of that, you can work on it."

"It's not easy."

"I didn't say it was but getting in shape is a good start."

"Ok. I'm off to the park."

"The park? Why not the gym?"

Kaemon mentally pictured his classmates talking about him and didn't want to run the risk of facing them right now. "Oh…it's just such a nice day."

"Well my schedule is wide open so I think I'll come along and supervise."

"So little trust" he said half joking.

The boy and the cat spend all afternoon in the park. Luna made suggestions such as running laps or attempting chin ups on the provided equipment. Kaemon whined and took frequent rests but to his credit he stuck with it.

"I am so tired" he whined as he flopped onto a bench and lay down.

"It wasn't bad for a start"

"A start? Ugh, I hate exercise!"

"Well you better get used to it."

"Yeah yeah, but right now I just want to go home and eat."

"Go easy on the desert."

"Ugh!"

* * *

Monday morning found Kaemon slumped in his desk feeling tired and sore. He was debating if getting up on time had really been worth it because he could have slept longer when Nao showed up.

"Hey Kaemon! How was your weekend?"

"Tiring"

"Awesome! Mine too!"

"Huh?"

"The guys and I went to the gym this weekend. Twice! It was awesome! I'm already getting in shape."

"That quickly?"

"Yep, I'm just amazing I guess."

"I guess you are."

Shigeru came into the room and said "Hey Kaemon, how was your lazy weekend?"

"Lazy? I did my own workouts."

"Lifting the TV remote doesn't count."

"I worked out in the park. I would have come with you guys but I wasn't invited."

Nao said "Well I didn't think it was your thing."

"Translation" Shigeru said "We didn't want to put up with your quitter attitude."

Thankfully, Miss Haruna came in and started class so the discussion was cut off there. Kaemon continued to fume but as the day went on he noticed that many of the class, Nao and Shigeru included, seemed a bit run down. They never acknowledged it, in fact they seemed ready to jump up and do jumping jacks, but their bodies told a different story.

It was the same at PE. They acted cocky and really pushed themselves. At first they were top of the class but they tried out quickly.

"Just the healthy fatigue of exercise" Shigeru said "A perfect body doesn't come easily."

"There's no such thing as perfect" Kaemon said but many boys just sneered.

"Of course that's what you'd say."

He fumed but couldn't help noticing that even Nao the athlete had progressed very quickly. Also in the changing room everyone was looking so thin and fit. Maybe, just maybe, he could stand going back to Morita's Gym…

* * *

"Glad to see you back" Mr. Morita said to Kaemon that afternoon

"Yeah just don't slow us down or anything" Shigeru said

No one, not even Nao said anything, and they simply began the workout. Kaemon was determined to show them and pushed himself to the limit. After a short time, he was more than ready for his first break but everyone kept going.

"Wasn't…(huff) there a (huff puff) a break last time?" he asked between his heavy breaths.

"Breaks are for newbies and wimps!" Shigeru answered. He was sweating like a pig but moving like a blur on his treadmill."

"Perfection takes dedication" Honda added

"Well I'm sorry but I just can't go on like this" Kaemon stepped away from the exercise equipment and wobbled over to lean against the wall.

"See this is why no one invited you" Shigeru sneered

Nao gave a half hearted look of apology but just kept working out. Kaemon was hurt and angry; despite his lack of energy he stood up and said "I'm off for a snack."

"Snacks aren't good" Nao said "I already regret eating so much at lunch."

"It was your normal amount."

"That much? Man I'll never get in shape."

"You guys are crazy!" Kaemon declared as he stomped off. He ignored the comments from the others and went to the locker room to get cleaned up and changed. He was done with this place.

When he came out after a long and relaxing shower, he saw the boys being led to a back room by Mr. Morita. "A proper cool down is important after all."

"Yeah I always feel so relaxed" Nao said

Kaemon wondered what kind of cool down they were talking about. "Probably a massage or something…actually that doesn't sound bad. Maybe I could sneak in without being noticed."

He followed the group and was frozen in shock when he cracked the door open for a peak. The boys were all sitting in a semi-circle while Mr. Morita held his hands up to a crystal ball in the ceiling. The boys were unconscious with waves of some sort of energy flowing out of them into the crystal.

"This is the best plan yet; we're harvesting so much human energy! The brainwashing is almost a waste of time with how humans get obsessed" he gym owner laughed.

"Oh no" Kaemon whispered. Morita looked around but he'd already shut the door and backed away. "What do I do? I can't even call Luna or that pretty hero. Get a hold of yourself, Kaemon, your friends need you."

Back inside the large energy absorption room, Morita had returned to his task. He was just trying to think which group he would drain next when the door slammed open. He turned to see a young man in a sailor suit silhouetted there.

"How dare you take advantage of human desires and insecurities like this? You promise perfection and it only leads to trouble. We have enough of that in the world without villains like you adding to it. I am Sailor Moon, the handsome soldier who fights for truth and justice, and in the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"I was wondering if I'd see you. Now I get the chance to add your energy to the pot." As he said this, Morita began to buff up even more and his eyes turned a sick red. His hair reshaped into stringy mullet and small horns grew from his forehead. He said "I am the monster Undō. You don't stand a chance against me."

Kaemon gulped but stood his ground. Undō lunged at him and he dodged to the side. The bulky creature slammed into the wall. Kaemon quickly manifested his boomerang but it was knocked from his hand. He turned to see one a trio of the personal trainers behind him with glowing eyes.

"Are they monsters too or just brainwashed?"

Undō laughed and said "I guess you can't attack them, just in case."

"I'll just have to deal with you first then" he replied, sounding a lot braver than he felt.

"I'd like to see that" the monster laughed as the training guys gathered around him. One had clenched fists, another was holding a hand weight, and the third had a jump rope. As he was processing this, the jump rope guy flicked it at him like a whip. Kaemon jumped to the side with a scream and bumped right into fist guy. He tried to grab Kaemon in a bear hug but he dropped and crawled between the trainer's legs.

"Maybe being a bit short isn't so bad" he said as he popped up and scanned around for his boomerang. It had landed on the floor near the chairs with the still unconscious classmates. Kaemon ran for it but was tripped by one of the trainers sticking their foot out. "Really? Grown men using a schoolboy trick."

A pair of feet appeared before him and Undō said "Well if you're tired of tricks, I could just kill you."

"No thanks" Kaemon said with a fearful smile before rolling away.

He popped up just in time to see the hand weight slam down next to him. He then cried out as the jump rope struck his back. It wrapped around his legs and almost tripped him again as he struggled to stand up. He saw Undō punch down at him and he just managed to scuttle away. He saw the monster had left a sizeable hole in the floor and his eyes grew wide.

"You're a slippery little worm" the monster commented "but you're just delaying the inevitable."

Kaemon knew that Undō was probably right. He was just struggling to survive with no Luna, no masked lady, just his own rather pathetic guts. He wanted to simply curl up and cry but he knew Nao and the others needed him. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't give up.

"Sorry about this" he said as the trainer with the weight came near him. Kaemon kicked the man right between the legs and he curled up in pain, dropping his weapon. It hit the ground with a heavy thud and Kaemon picked it up.

"Take this Undō" he said as he quickly stepped away from the other trainers. He gathered up his strength and hurled the object at the monster's head. Undō dodged but the weight did hit the crystal ball in the ceiling. It shattered in a flash of light and the strange aura from earlier flowed back into the boys in the chairs.

"You stupid worm!" Undō screamed in rage "I'll tear you to pieces"

He ran at Kaemon like a raging bull and the Sailor Solider jumped to the side. The monster plowed right into the trainers and they ended up in a tangled pile. Kaemon, quickly picked his way through the crystal pieces on the floor and retrieved his weapon.

"Hey Undō!" the monster partially detached himself from the others and turned to face him "Moon Boomerang Action!"

The beast swore but couldn't step aside quickly because he was still standing in the middle of the struggle trainers. The boomerang sliced through the screaming monster and he crumbled into sand. Seconds later the headbands on the trainers crumbled as well.

"What?"

"Why are we on the floor?"

"Ow" the one who had wielded the weight said, still being a little careful with his movements.

At the same time, the boys were waking up and were equally confused. Sailor Moon struck a heroic pose and said "A monster hijacked this gym and was brainwashing you all to collect your energy. All is well now and I am off to fight more evil."

Sailor Moon ran from the room. Most people were talking about cool Sailor Moon was but Shigeru added "Off to fight more evil? That's kind of dorky."

* * *

"I'm really sorry for the past few days Kaemon."

"It's ok Nao. Everyone gets carried away and you guys were brainwashed." Kaemon was sitting shirtless in his room talking on the phone. His back still stung like crazy but was already healing.

"I still feel kind of bad for how we talked about you. I had no idea you heard all of that."

"I also heard that you were the least mean and even defended me. I reacted badly too. It's all good, dude."

"Awesome! Anyway, I need to go. See you at school tomorrow."

"Unfortunately…I mean the school part of course. See you then."

He hung up and lay down on his front. He looked up to see Luna sitting at the head of his bed and jumped but only slightly.

"You should just move in, you're always here."

"Maybe" Luna said "Today you should be happy. I'm here to congratulate you on handling a battle all by yourself."

"I wanted to wet my pants, I was so scared."

"You didn't let that stop you though. You just might be a great hero after all…someday."

"And someday you may learn that brutal honestly isn't always necessary!"

Luna just smiled and said "I call it like I see it. Right now I see a boy who needs to finish his homework and get some rest."

"I forgot about the homework."

"Well un-forget, we can't have a hero of justice stuck in detention."

He just groaned and buried his head in his arms.


End file.
